


Never Gonna Give You Up

by leiascully



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Best Friends, Drinking & Talking, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-07
Updated: 2012-05-07
Packaged: 2017-11-04 23:30:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/399391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leiascully/pseuds/leiascully
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint and Natasha remember Budapest very differently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Gonna Give You Up

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: pre-movie  
> A/N: For my own amusement, really, and in celebration of Clint and Natasha's BFF-ery.  
> Disclaimer: _The Avengers_ and all related characters are property of Marvel Studios  & Joss Whedon. No profit is made from this work and no infringement is intended.

Budapest was fun. Natasha had been trying to convince Barton of this for at least an hour and at least four rounds of drinks. They had started in the bar, but they were in her room now, sprawled in a couple of large armchairs with the bottle on a table next to them.

"It was so much fun," she insisted for the sixteenth time. "Come on, Barton. Admit it."

"It was not fun," he sighed. "There's something wrong with you, Romanov."

"There's nothing wrong with me that a little liquor won't fix," she said, batting her eyes at him. 

He laughed. "Because we definitely haven't drunk enough of this stuff already." He drained his glass and poured himself another healthy measure from the bottle. "What's it called again?"

"I'm not gonna say it," she said. "Not until you admit it was fun. How often do you get the chance to steal the Royal Crown and return it?"

"For a second, I wasn't sure you were going to return it," he said, eyeing her.

She shrugged. "It's not like it was actually part of our mission. I just consider it my job to educate idiots wherever I find them, especially if they're criminal idiots. How dumb can you get, walking around with the Royal Crown?"

"If you stole the damn thing, you'd just wear it," he said, sipping at his drink.

"And I'd look good in it," she preened. 

"Of course," he agreed. "But it wasn't fun. I generally don't consider being shot at fun."

"You're the world's greatest archer," she argued. "People shoot at you all the time."

"No," he said. "Mostly I'm shooting at them. And I didn't start out shooting at _anybody_ , unless that scarecrow was the one from Oz. You know, the one who had a brain."

"I have seen the movie," she said.

"Just checking," he teased her. "Seriously, tell me what we're drinking."

"I can't," she said. "I don't know if you know, but I don't actually speak Hungarian."

"I'm from Iowa," he reminded. "You want to hear me say it?"

She rolled her eyes. " _Szilvapálinka_. And I can't believe you put ice in it."

"That's the stuff," he said, raising his glass to her.

"It does hit the spot," she said, pursing her lips and taking another long swallow.

He regarded his glass, swirling the liquor against the sides. "I think we've been drinking it long enough that it's hit all the spots." He stretched and winced. "So did your criminal idiots. Definitely visiting the bath house tomorrow."

"Again, fun," she said. 

"Again, no," he countered. "I don't generally think getting the hell beat out of me by a gang of substandard crooks is a laugh. If we hadn't literally run into them in the street, it might have been different. I'm sorry, Nat. I know I don't enjoy the finer things in life. Blame my childhood."

"You enjoy this, don't you?" she said. 

"The booze, or the post-mission shenanigans?" he asked.

"Don't they go together?" she teased him. The brandy was warm in her belly. Tomorrow she'd probably need to join him at the bath house, but right now she was feeling loose and sweet.

"Of course," he said. "Can't have one without the other. Just like you and me."

"Clearly," she agreed. "We're a team. Black Widow and Hawkeye."

"If we ever have to abbreviate it, are we gonna be Black Eye or Hawk Widow?" he joked. "I'm leaning toward the first one. I don't think hawks get married."

"Wedding rings aren't made for feathers," she said. "I think you're thinking ahead too far."

"I usually am," he said. "Pour me another one. The fun's not over yet." He rattled the ice in his glass, grinning at her, and she poured out another measure of brandy. Before he could move back, she leaned forward, balancing her palms against his thighs, and kissed him lingeringly. He tasted, unsurprisingly, of plum brandy, and he smelled pleasantly soapy from the shower. 

"How about that?" she asked, her voice husky. "Was that fun?"

"It was very nice, considering," he said.

"Considering?" she asked, leaning back.

He gave her an odd look. "Considering that I'm gay," he said. 

She sat down hard in her chair. " _Idi na khui._ " She buried her face in her hands. "I did not think that one through."

He leaned forward. "Nat, I thought you knew that."

"Apparently not," she said.

"We've been through a lot together," he said. "We know so much about each other. I thought you knew."

"Just give me a minute," she said. "I need to feel like an idiot in peace." She breathed deeply, swearing in her head. He watched her with that expression on his face, the one he made every time he was puzzled by her. He made it a lot. She was exquisitely familiar with it. It was, unfortunately, rather charming. 

"Sorry," he offered. "You're a lovely person, Nat. If I were into women, I'm sure you'd be at the top of the list."

"I have to say that doesn't really help right now," she said. 

"Get over here," he said, setting down his glass.

"Over where?" she asked.

"Here," he said, patting his thigh. 

She sighed. "Barton..."

"Just come here," he said, getting up enough to catch her wrist, pulling her toward him. It would have been simple to escape his grasp, but she let him tug at her until she was across his lap. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead, stroking her hair.

"What is even happening right now," she muttered.

"Just go with it," he said. "Look, Nat. It isn't that I don't love you, okay? Don't ever think that. You and me, we've got something special. It just isn't in bed. I mean, this is nice, right?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, curling into a more comfortable position. 

"You're my best friend," he said. "You're my partner. Nothing's ever gonna change that."

"It's not like I'm madly in love with you," she said grumpily. "Not like that. I mean, I wasn't in it for the long haul. I just thought it might be fun for tonight."

"We could make out a little if you want," he said. "I guess. But I don't think that would help."

"Not at all," she said. "Believe me when I say this is not something I think about all the time."

"I believe you," he said, smirking. "I've seen which guys catch your eye. I'm not any of those guys."

"It was an impulse," she informed him. "I regret it deeply." 

"I know you do," he said, rubbing her back. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Nat. You're not the first person to make that kind of mistake."

She tucked her head into his neck. "I was hoping not to be that person."

"We all get confused sometimes," he said. "Not your fault. I should have told you before."

"And I shouldn't have tried to make a move on you," she said. 

"It wasn't bad, as moves go," he teased her. "I mean, your aim could use a little work, but the technique was pretty good. Strong beginning. Smooth release." 

She smacked his chest. "Shut up."

"Make me," he said.

"My usual methods aren't particularly effective," she said with a growl. He laughed. 

"Seriously," he said. "If I weren't into men, don't you think something would have worked on me by now? Give yourself a little credit, gorgeous."

"Now you're just being mean," she said. 

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Forgive me?"

"Give me the booze," she said. He handed her his glass and she drained it.

"Better?"

"It will be, partner," she said. 

"At least we'll never have a messy breakup," he offered. "We've all seen teams ruined by that. Nothing can touch us now."

"You and your silver linings," she muttered.

"I just see farther than you do," he said patiently. "It goes with the job description." 

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "I guess now I don't have to worry about you seeing me naked at the bath house."

"You weren't worried about that," he told her.

"I was worried it might blow your mind," she taunted him, just to make him laugh again.

"Attagirl," he said. 

"We could stick around for a couple of days," she mused. "Find ourselves some more fun."

"When you say fun, I hear trouble," he said. 

"Exactly," she said, snuggling against him. 

"So we're good?" he asked.

"Good as gold," she said. "Don't think you're not gonna tell me everything later, though."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, grinning.


End file.
